Russia says grain deal remains valid despite Odessa attack

Russia on Monday ignored a Western and Ukrainian warning that a missile attack by its forces in the Ukrainian port city of Odessa could derail a United Nations-brokered deal aimed at alleviating global shortages. of food with the resumption of grain exports from the Black Sea region.

The Kremlin said Saturday’s attack – denounced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “barbarism” – was aimed only at military infrastructure and would not affect grain export plans in the deal struck on Friday in Istanbul, Turkey. .

Global wheat shortages and rising energy prices in Europe are some of the most far-reaching effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, threatening millions of poorer countries with hunger and sparking fears in Europe about heating supplies this winter.

With the war entering its sixth month, the Ukrainian military reported widespread Russian bombing in eastern Ukraine overnight. They said Moscow continued to prepare for an attack on Bakhmut in the industrial region of Donbass, which Russia intends to seize on behalf of separatist proxies.

Near Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city located in the country’s northeast, three people were trapped under the rubble of a cultural center in the city of Chuhuyiv and a fourth person was injured, Zelensky’s office said.

Ukraine said on Monday its forces had used US-supplied Himars rocket systems to destroy 50 Russian ammunition depots since receiving the weapons last month. Russia did not immediately comment, but its Defense Ministry said its forces had destroyed an ammunition depot for the Himars systems.

Reuters could not independently verify the Russian or Ukrainian statements.

grain exports

Friday’s agreement on grain exports is intended to allow safe entry and exit from Ukrainian ports, which have been blocked by the Russian Black Sea fleet since the February 24 invasion of Moscow. A UN official called the agreement a “de facto ceasefire” for the ships and facilities involved.

The Ukrainian military said two Kalibr missiles fired from Russian warships hit the area of ​​a pumping station in the port and two more were shot down by air defense forces. They did not reach the grain storage area or cause significant damage.

Russia said its forces hit a Ukrainian warship and a weapons store in Odessa with precision missiles.

“These attacks are exclusively linked to military infrastructure,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

“They are in no way related to the infrastructure that is used to export grain. This should not affect – and will not affect – the start of shipments.”